Compensating valve.



s. G. NEAL. GOMPENSATING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

W l. I w 0 H J V ||l//, 4 M 2 w w M 3% 4 y w 22:: a n 141% 4 w 9 5 MWHIw 2 y 3 m H UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPENCER G. NEAL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG-NOR '10 CALIFORNIA VALVE AND AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

oomrnnsarme VALVE.

Serial No. 781,835.

Application filed July 29, 1913.

i To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SPENCER G. NEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented a new and useful Compensating Valve, (Case B,) of which the following is a specification.

The compensating valve which forms the subject matter of this invention is adapted to'a great variety of uses, but is more particularly intended as a means to regulate the supply of air under pressure to air braking systems for railways.

The present invention hasfor one of 1ts principal objects the provision of an improved compensating valve that Wlll not fail to maintain a predetermined pressure in a train pipe, such train pipe ressureun present practice being reduced not maintained), when leaks occur in the train pipes or fittings.

This compen'sating valve will operate suc-v cessfully in conjunction with the engineers valve of present braking systems with but slight alteration of said valve. Moreover, this compensating valve automatically maintains, a predetermined pressure 1n a train pipe during service, lap, and runn ng positions. In this particular this invention is an improvement over the feed valve in use at the present time, because said feed valve is capable of furnishing air to the train pipe in moderatt quantities only, and only during such time as the engineers valve 18 in running position. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the inventio Figure 1s a vertical mid-section of thi compensat ng valve. Fig. 2 is a plan view 'of a disk which is inserted in a well known braking valve to adapt the same to cooperate with this compensati-ng valve. Fig, 3 s a view, the sectioned part of which illustrates certain changes in a well known engmeers valve to adapt same to cooperate. w th this compeneating valve. Fig. 4 is a mid-sectlon of the compensating valve, the valve operat ng parts being shown in a d1fierent p0sit1on from that illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 1s a diagrammatic view illustrating the applica- 1 tionof this compensating valve to a well= I i charge valve outlet 28 is closed by screw drawings, 1 in j known air braking system.

Referring in detail to the a general way designates the compensatm valve, (see Fig. 5). 2 the englneers'valve train pipe connection 26, an

3 the main storage reservoir for supplying bralnng air to the train pipe.

The well known main supply pipe 4 leads from the storage reservoir 3 to the brake valve 2; a branch pipe 5 leads from the brake valve 2 to the main train pipe 6. Pipe 4 may be provided with a well known cutout valve 7. The brake valve 2 is connected with the usual equalizing reservoir 8 by means of an equalizing pipe 9. Pipe 5 is provided with valve 11. In order to connect the compensating valve 1 with these well known parts, a supply pipe 12 is run from the reservoir pipe 4 to the compensating valve 1, said pipe 12 preferably being provided with a cut-out valve 14; and an equalizing reservoir pipe 15-is run from compen-.

sating valve 1 to the equalizing reservoir .8 or to the pipe 9, which is in communication with the said equalizing reservoir 8. Said pipe .15 is preferably provided with a cutout valve 16-; pipe 17 is also added to connect the compensating valve to the main tains, but in practical operation thebrak-ing furnished with a cut-outvalve 18.

The brakin apparatus which has thus far been descri ed, relates to the engine only and it is to this part of the braking apparv tus of the train that this invention tains, but in practical operation the bral ii g action on each car of the train is affected.

Referring now more particularly to 3, this view shows the well known engineers brake valve altered somewhat in the sectioned portion to adapt the same to cooperate with this compensating valve.

22 is the usual train pipe piston chamber, the piston being removed therefrom, and a combined metallic and leather; gasket. or disk 23 being placed over said chamber 22 to make an air tight seal between. theequal izin'g chamber 24 and said train pipe chamber 22. The reason for inserting said gasket 23 is that the well known piston (not shown) which ordinarily occupies chamber 22, would not make an absolutely air tiaht closure between the chambers 22 and 2a. The main reservoir supply assage 25, the

ol the train pipe supply passage 27 are not altered from the standard equipment, but equalizing displug 29. i u

Referring now in detail to the construction oit the compensating valve shown in section in Figs. 1 and 4, the casing for said valve preferably comprises a spacing ring 31, an upper cap32, and the lower cap 33;

said caps 32 and .33being clamped against.

opposite sides of the said ring 31 by means of bolts 34, havingnuts 35. The'inner peripheral portionof the chamber formed by said ring and caps is provided with two tapered recesses 36 and .37 to provide for the proper operation of the diaphragms 38 and 39, which are respectively placed next to the upper ca 32 and lower ea .33. Between said diaphragms 38 and 39 is placed a hollow spacing device 41, having an upward extension 42 around which the diaphragm 38 extends, the diaphragm supporter or clamping nut 43 being screwed upon said extension42 to hold said diaphragm38 in place. The lower'diaphragm 39 likewise is fitted around an extension 44 and is held in place by the lower clamping nut 45.

Around the whole spacing device 41 is an annular vent chamber 46 which communicatesby means of ports 47 with the central valve cage 48. Within said valvecage 48 extends'winged portion 49 of the release valve 51, which when opened by decrease of pressure in equalizing chamber' 50 permits air to ass from the train pipe chamber 52 throug valve cage '48, ports 47 and ann'ular chamber 46 out through the vent passage 53 to the outside atmosphere. Formed in one piece with the valve 51 is a downward winged extension 54 provided at its lower end with a .suppl winged portion 54 is gui ed b an annular extension or sleeve 56 forme within the chamber 52. Pipe 12 leads from themain reservoir 3 (see Fig. 5) to supply assage '57, thence to the valve chamber 58 eneath supply valve 55. The lower end of chamber 58 sclosed by a stopplu 59 which limits the downward movement 0 the supply valve and (parts connected therewith. Lock nut 60 hol s plug 59 in place. The upward movement of the diaphragm device as a whole is limited by a screw bolt 61 which is adjustabllzy retained by a lock nut 62. Disk 23 (see' igs. 3 and 4) is rovided with an aperture 25" to register wit supplypassage' 25, with an aperture 26 to register with train pipe supply assage 27 and with. the well known equali z ing passe e 70. These openings furnish outlets to al the passages valve 55. Said addition to such functions this compensating valve performs certain other functions which will hereinafter be described. The engineerls Valve proper will perform all of its well known functions and maintain its various positions as before, viz., full release, running, service, lap, and emergency positions. The charging of the train pipe is caused, as is well known in present braking systems of standard type,'by placing the engineers valve in the full release position in order quickly to charge the train pipe, said engineers valve being placed at the running position as in present practice, as soon as the desired maximum train pipe re'ssure has been obtained. The train pipe aving thus been chargedto the required pressure, and the equalizing reservoir 8 also being charged to an equality with the train pipe pressure, the result will be that the pressure in the equalizing chamber 50 which is in communication with theequalizing reservoir 8, will be the same as the train pipe pressure in the train pipe chamber 52 of the compensating valve, said chamber 52 bein indirect communicatioh with the train pipe through the pipe 17. With the ressure as just described, in order to ma e a reduction of the train pipe pressure, the brake valve 2 is placed in service position, thereby releasing air from the equalizing reservoir 8 to the atmosphere to any desired amount, and thus through pipe 15 releasing the pressure in the equalizin .chamber 50 of the compensat ing valve be ow the pressure in the lower train pi e chamber 52 of said com ensatmg valve. he result of said change 0 pressure will be to allow the excess pressure in chamber 52 beneath diaphragms 39, to raise the spacer 41 and parts connected-therewith to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus-opening the. release valve 51 and venting train pipe air through theports 47 and passages 53.

When the train pipe pressure in train pipe chamber 52 has been reduced beneath the pressure in equalizing chamber 50 said s ace'r 41 and the parts directly connected tlierewith will move back to the-lap position, thus closing the relief valve 51 and cutting off further escape of train pipe air to the atmo here.

I instead of reducing the pressure 1n equalizin reservoir 8, as has ust been described, t e engineers valve was operated n such a manner as to raise the pressure m equalizing chamber 50 the result would be a reverse operation 1n the compensating valve, the pressure in equahzmg chamber 50 exceeding that in train pi e chamber 52 and causing the diaphragm evice-to descend, thus forcin supply valve 55 away from 1 ts seat and a lowing the air from the mam reservoir to enter train pipe chamber 52 b way of passa e 57 and pass thence throug branch pipe 1 to the main train pipe 6.

It is evident that any reduction of pressure in-the train pipe chamber 52 will operate the compensatin valve in the same man-.

' entirely the necessity of the storage-system during all service applications, and also reduces the element of time for the re-charging of reservoirs in which pressure has been reduced according to present practice by such-service applications.

I claim 1. The combination with a train'pipe and an engineers brake valve, of means to regulate the supply of air to thetrain pipe; said means comprising two diaphragms, a spacing device to rigidly connect said diaphragms to each other, there being an annular chamber communicating with the outer atmosphere between said diaphragms around said spacing device, there being also a valve chamber within said spacing device communicating with said annular chamber, the lower end of said valve chamber com municating with the train pipe chamber located beneath said diaphragm device, a release valve in said valve chamber to control release of air from the train pipe chamber to the outer atmosphere, and a supply valve.

formed as a downward continuation of said release valve to regulate the supply of air to said train ipe chamber.

2. The com ination with a train pipe and engineers brake valve, of means to regulate the supply of air to the train pipe; said means comprising a casing, a diaphragm device dividing said easing into three separa'te chambers, one of said'chambers 'bemg interior with respect to said diaphragm the other side of' said diaphragm device being a train pipe chamber, a vent chamber located interiorly of said diaphra m devlce, a valve. chamber also located wlthin said diaphragm device and communicating with said vent chamber, said valve chamber having a closed upper end and a lower end forming a valve seat, a valve having a winged portion within said" valve chamber and a base portion to open and close the lower end of said valve chamber and a supplyvalve to control the supply to the tra;in pipe chamber, said supply valve belng a downward continuation of said release valve, downward movement of said diaphragm device first closing said release valve, and farther downward movement of said diaphragm device opening said supply valve to supply air to said train pipe chamher.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 23rd day of July 191? SPENCER G. NEAL.

Witnesses:

GUY (3'. France,

ALBERT H. Minimum. 

